[FONT=&amp]Meanwhile, Grant indicated a name change may be on the cards for the NSW and Queensland Cups as their current monikers don’t “ring true” given the level of current and future international involvement.
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]The Papua New Guinea Hunters have played in the Queensland Cup since 2014 while the entry of a Fijian team into the NSW Cup is expected to be approved in the coming weeks.
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]“What it does for PNG is fantastic, rugby league is their national sport and it really means something to them. It’s the same with Fiji,” Grant said.
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]“We have players in our NRL competition that come from all of those places and we’ve got to make sure they’ve got local rugby league that they can see that’s at the elite level.”

Fri 25th November, 04:00PM[FONT=&amp]
The NSWRL Board today approved an application by Blacktown Workers that will see the club enter the state’s premier competition, Intrust Super Premiership NSW, for the first time in its 52-year history in 2017.

The western Sydney-based club has formed a partnership with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, with the agreement resulting in the club fielding teams in all three NSWRL senior competitions - Sydney Shield, Ron Massey and Intrust Super Premiership NSW.

All three teams will be play under the banner of Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles, with the home ground being H.E. Laybutt Field at the Blacktown Workers Club.

The partnership will provide a pathway for Blacktown players into the NRL as a feeder club for the Sea Eagles.

NSWRL Head of Football, BJ Mather, said the NSWRL Board was satisfied with the application which enables Blacktown Workers to realise a foundation goal from 1964 to have a team in the state’s elite competition.

“It’s great for the game that a club with the history like Blacktown wants to make a significant investment into the pathways of Rugby League,” Mather said.

Blacktown Workers President, Keith Cochran, is delighted with the partnership.

“It will be a great boost for Rugby League in the district to have players with NRL experience training and playing with our locally grown products,” Cochran said.

"Manly is an iconic club and the most successful of the modern era. To link up with them is an opportunity too good to miss.”

Sea Eagles Chairman, Scott Penn, said today:

“The Sea Eagles are delighted to be partnering with Blacktown Workers on a combined Intrust Super Premiership NSW team for the 2017 season.

It will be interesting to see how we do it in 2018, when I think we will have 2 NSW cup sides and no NYC side.
Whether we will have a younger side and an older side, or divide the players some other way, will be interesting.

I think we need to keep the likely firstgraders in one side so they can form combinations etc.

One of the biggest questions for me is where does Brock Lamb go if not selected for first grade? Can't be put back in NYC surely?

Also a lot of names that we're yet to determine who actually is still at the club or not as mentioned above. We know Tofilau, Freeman, Koopu, Taylor and apparently Baker, Walker, Elias? Fepuleai? are gone to other clubs/local competitions. Then there's players such as McNamara, Morris, Kouka-Smith and Uta who've recently all had a taste of ISP but are all eventually going to graduate from NYC and are yet to have somewhere to go and spots to compete for.

One of the biggest questions for me is where does Brock Lamb go if not selected for first grade? Can't be put back in NYC surely?

Also a lot of names that we're yet to determine who actually is still at the club or not as mentioned above. We know Tofilau, Freeman, Koopu, Taylor and apparently Baker, Walker, Elias? Fepuleai? are gone to other clubs/local competitions. Then there's players such as McNamara, Morris, Kouka-Smith and Uta who've recently all had a taste of ISP but are all eventually going to graduate from NYC and are yet to have somewhere to go and spots to compete for.

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Bryce Donovan has left, not sure where too.

I'd imagine Sam Stone will play most of next year barring injury in the NYC.

Lamb will play NYC unless Pearsall or Feeney get a call up to first grade or one of them are injured.

I'd imagine Sam Stone will play most of next year barring injury in the NYC.

Lamb will play NYC unless Pearsall or Feeney get a call up to first grade or one of them are injured.

Where did you hear about Baker, Elias, Feupuleai and Walker leaving?

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Oh okay, didn't know Bryce had gone. I'd also imagine Sam to play a bit more ISP due to him getting a few games here and there last season. I can't imagine Lamb playing anymore NYC, Brown seems to like him and looks willing to develop him quickly so I'm not sure on that one. As for Baker, Elias and Walker I'm pretty sure Billy or another member had said that they signed elsewhere maybe in the Real NRL in the 2016 ISP thread? And didn't Fepuleai play for the team that won the Real NRL? Haven't heard of him being around or playing ISP for a fair while now, or I could be going insane.

Guys like Uiti Baker and others who have signed for real NRL sides could still be training with the part time squad and could play a lot of games for us next year. The part time players all have a local club to fall back on if not picked for the Knights.
I haven't heard anything about the part time squad, but since Woolford wouldn't know many of the players, it wouldn't surprize me if he is giving a lot of guys a chance to train.
I expect Woolford will have a different looking squad to Lantry's, but I have no idea what Woolford might be looking for in players. He was an aggressive player, so maybe he will value aggression.

Woolford might even bring some players from the Canberra system with him.
They have had some very strong reserve grade sides in recent years, and some great under 20s before that, so there are a lot of players from that system who Woolford might want, and might come for an opportunity.
I saw the other day that one of the Kennedy's had been released. I don't know which are any good, because they have 3 or 4 of them, but a few looked very good, as good as Barnett maybe.